Our Will
by seroun
Summary: CHAPTER FIVE: "Father? Do you think I could have weapons someday?" [Death the Kid/Liz/Patty centric drabble series]
1. Our Will

May contain spoilers. _Thoughts in italics._

**Disclaimer: **Soul Eater is the property of Atsushi Okubo. I do not own the series nor its characters and am not making any sort of profit off of this fanfiction.

—

There. A knock at the door.

Liz swallowed, her fingers hovering just above the doorknob, a sinking feeling creeping into her mind. She of course had been waiting for this, albeit with a heavy heart. The door creaked open at her wavering touch, revealing two men in dark suits with matching folders in their hands.

"Good morning. Is this the home of Miss Elizabeth and Patricia Thompson? We're here from Shibusen's legal department," said the man closest to her in the doorway.

Liz nodded in affirmation. She knew this department well, after arriving here with her sister and being placed under probation in the past. It seemed like a lifetime ago now.

"Very good. We ask that you look over these documents, some of which require your signature immediately. Also included are your wills. This is time-sensitive, so you need to have everything completed by 5pm this evening. We will come back to collect from you then. Any questions?"

Liz glanced down at the folders being passed to her shaking hands, a strange, almost giddy feeling washing over her. "No questions," she murmured.

"Good," replied the man in front of her. "Then I will see you at 5 o'clock."

Liz gave a half-hearted smile before shutting the door with a click behind her. Her hands tightened around the folders she held, mentally preparing herself to face her younger sister.

Her baby sister Patty, whom she'd watched over from the moment she was born… Lately her laughter has died down, her smile faded, her heart guarded. Patty wasn't oblivious, she knew that the two of them would be facing the seemingly unstoppable Kishin in under a day's time. She knew what that meant. That it could mean the end of their lives. As Liz rounded the corner into the sitting room, Patty was already there waiting, her palm outstretched towards Liz, expecting the folder's appearance. _She's braver than I am. There's no doubt in her heart like there is in mine._

_Patty…_ Liz thought sadly to herself, looking down at her once carefree baby sister as she flipped through the folder's contents. Even Patty's eternal sunshine seemed overcast today. _Your big sister is so sorry… Sorry she couldn't give you the long, happy life you deserved._

—

"I'm back," Kid called from the entranceway. He shuffled into the room adjacent to the entrance to see his weapons bent over in their seats, pouring over documents sprawled out across the grand table. Neither met his gaze when he entered the room.

"Are those…?" Kid started, breaking the silence.

"Waiver and liability forms. And… our wills," Liz answered, still not meeting her meister's eyes.

"I-I see… So you've decided to accept the mission?"

"Of course," this time Patty answered, being the first to make eye contact with Kid. "We can't let you out of our sight again, you'll just go crazy without us, like last time!"

Kid winced at Patty's indiscriminate remark on his previous battle against madness within the Book of Eibon. "Y-yeah… Thank you guys. But you don't have to do this…"

At this, Liz finally looked up as well, quelling the fear and doubt in her heart. "We've already made up our minds, Kid. Don't worry so much, will you?" She gave her classic smirk, feeling herself settling down at her own resolution. "Maybe we made a mistake, partnering with a Shinigami. Trouble follows you everywhere. I was stupid to think we could live simple, carefree lives after you brought us here." Her tone was one of jest, but the guilt Kid felt couldn't get any worse.

Kid took a deep breath. "If I had known that partnering with you might cost you your lives down the road, I would have let you go free back then. I'm sorry. I-"

"Will you shut up?! We agreed to being your partners just as much as you agreed to be ours. No one could have ever guessed that the Kishin would be revived this way! We're in this together. After all, a weapon's gotta protect her meister, right?" Liz said sternly.

Patty nodded enthusiastically beside her, her short blonde locks bouncing with the movement. "We're with you, Kid-kun!"

Kid smiled down upon his two weapons, though guilt still gnawed away at him. "No crying, Liz?" he asked softly.

"Heh, bastard. Who do you think I am?" Liz replied sardonically. Kid grinned at her.

"You've gotten stronger."

"Maybe I have… It's kind of a requirement when I'm a weapon to a Shinigami, isn't it?"

"I'm proud of you." His golden eyes glittered with warmth.

Liz sputtered at this, trying to calm the redness in her cheeks at his compliment. Patty laughed gleefully beside her, slapping her elder sister across the back.

"Sis, you're all red, hahaha!"

"Patty, hush!"

—

It was 5 o'clock and the papers had been signed and collected. The future would not wait for them, it was now or never. A calmness enveloped Gallows Mansion as the trio accepted their tasks and fate, whatever it might be.

"Liz, Patty. Get some rest, we'll have a long day tomorrow," Kid chided.

"Alright~" Patty chirped, already up two of the stairs leading to the bedroom chambers. Liz turned to follow her.

"By the way, Liz," Kid began. "Your wills, what did you write down?"

"You're a nosy guy, you know that?" She put a hand on her hip, turning back towards him as Patty continued bounding up the stairs. "It took me awhile to figure out what to write… I don't exactly have family to entrust anything to… I don't even have that many of my own belongings to begin with!"

"So what did you decide?"

"Well… with all the clothes I've accumulated over the years, I figured it wouldn't be bad to have them donated to homeless kids… After all, that's what Patty and I were. It just feels right."

Kid smiled earnestly. "That's a beautiful thing to do. Now go rest, okay?"

"You're bossy too," Liz muttered under her breath, though she could feel her cheeks beginning to flush. She turned back towards the stairwell, waving her hand over her shoulder. "Good night, Kid. See you tomorrow!"

"See you tomorrow, Liz."

—

**A/N: **As I was typing this out, "meister" auto-corrected itself to "keister" and the line "A weapon's gotta protect her _meister_" just took on a whole different meaning. *snickers* (Keister = butt)

Back to being serious! I've been a Soul Eater fan for about 5 years now, but I think this is the first time I've written fanfiction for the series, hurrah! I found that years ago when I first watched the anime, I identified with the likes of Maka and Black Star, the somewhat more "childish" members of the meister trio… but upon my recent watching now that I've gotten older, I identify better with the more mature Death The Kid and adult characters. Interesting how you can grow up with a series and its characters~

I've also finally been spurred back into writing fanfiction because I just finished reading the manga, which I had never read before. Yes it's safe to say, Death The Kid is surely something else~ Definitely has become my favorite character, I was wholly impressed by him! But besides him, I wrote this particular drabble because of the Thompson sisters. The scene where they're writing their wills really broke my heart. Two young girls who had come off the streets with hopes for a new start, now having to write their wills to join their meister in a battle that may be to the death…. And to top it all off, the next scene with Spirit basically saying goodbye to Maka…. *SOBS* And Shinigami-sama saying that he may never see his son's smile again….. *SO MANY TEARS*

This author's note is going to become longer than the drabble itself, so it's time to wrap up! I may be adding to this as a drabble series (with focus being on Kid and the Thompson sisters), but probably not on any sort of schedule. I write only when inspiration hits, and that's been rare these days. But I'll be back again!


	2. Savior

Based on the events in Soul Eater NOT! May contain spoilers. _Thoughts in italics._

**Disclaimer: **Soul Eater is the property of Atsushi Okubo. I do not own the series nor its characters and am not making any sort of profit off of this fanfiction.

* * *

Liz Thompson dully picked at the lace of her uniform, sighing for the fourth time that afternoon. Probation certainly was boring, and it was worse spending it in an itchy waitress costume and pretending to be nice to cafe customers who expected to be waited on hand and foot. At least it was almost over, given that her and her little sister passed all requirements. So far they had, and that fact almost shamed Liz.

_If the other trash back home in Brooklyn could see us now, they'd laugh. Have we become soft? I won't allow it. Death City won't tame us._

A chime rang at the front door. Liz glanced over her shoulder, breaking out of her daze. Her eyes settled coldly on the new arrival.

"Tch. That jerk is back. Patty?"

Patty glanced up at the sound of her name, then registering the customer who had walked in, let her expression harden. "Got it," she murmured, strutting over to the customer's table. As she passed, there was another chime heard at the doorway. Patty paused, noticing whom the new customer was. Her eyes narrowed. "You."

Golden eyes met her own deep blue eyes. "Hello Patty, have you been well?" asked none other than Death the Kid.

Patty waved her hand in front of Kid's face. "It'd be better if we didn't have to come work at this boring job every day. We're still wearing these and not complaining, can't we stop working at this stupid place yet?" She whined, gesturing to the GPS tracking device attached to her wrist.

"Soon, Patty, soon. I promise you." Kid both looked forward to and dreaded these meetings with his two new weapons. While they could both be brash and violent, he knew that if he appealed to them over time, they would be the perfect weapons for him. He just had to believe in them. _But that's easier said than done with these two… _Kid sighed, knowing that his weapons were still mistrustful of him and that it would take a lot more prodding to reconcile with them as their partner.

Liz noticed the commotion with her sister and made her way over, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly, looking down upon her future meister.

"Are you here to spy on us again or what? If that's all, we haven't broken any rules so you can go home," she told Kid seriously.

"It's not spying, it's merely observation. That's what probation is all about. How else am I to get to know my future partners? Besides, you won't become my partners if you break any rules at this point."

"Then what? You'll throw us in jail, right?" Patty countered. Kid didn't have a response. "Well? Whatcha got to say about that?"

"We're not wild animals, we'll get through this trial period without your help. We've already gotten this far," Liz spoke up over her sister.

Kid's brow furrowed. "I wasn't suggesting you were animals, will you listen to me? Trying to gang up on me won't work, you both saw what I'm capable of."

At this, both girls backed down. It was true. They _did_ know what he was capable of. A situation even they couldn't have handled, he had taken care of in under a minute. He saved them, though Liz was loathe to admit it. All in all, part of the reason Liz had chosen to follow him was not only his wealth and privilege, but the raw power she felt from the boy. It was only until they had arrived in Death City that the sisters found out who Kid _really_ was.

"Anyway, I'm here to tell you that we have another meeting with my father and his people in two weeks time. I know how much you two have improved and gotten acclimated to this place, so don't let it go to waste. Be prepared and be on your best behavior, this is going to decide everything."

"Alright. Anything else?" Liz demanded.

"Will you consider cutting your hair to match your sister's?"

"NO!"

"Then that's it."

"Fine. Then get out of here, spoiled brat." Liz growled.

"Is this what really bothers you? The idea of privilege?" Kid asked, eyebrows raised.

"What kind of question is that? Of course it does! We've known nothing but struggle our whole lives. It pisses me off when everything you have is taken for granted."

Kid acknowledged her statement silently. "Very well. I will work sincerely to earn your partnership. Your trust too. I don't take either of you for granted."

Liz faltered at his contrition. "W-whatever." She looked away, heading back to the bar at the back of the cafe.

* * *

Two weeks had passed and suddenly Liz and Patty found themselves presented in front of Shinigami-sama, Death Scythe and numerous others in the Death Room. Feeling anxious, the sisters clasped their hands together, awaiting their fate. Both of them were finally forming decent relationships with those around them from the cafe and otherwise, but was it enough? Suddenly, Liz no longer felt like leaving this city.

"So, you two. According to Kid's reports, you've followed all ground rules set by your probation officer," Death Scythe began.

Patty nodded her head, a grin appearing on her face. _Finally, we're free!_

"But! I also heard you're still very aggressive around others. That's a big problem, girls~" Shinigami-sama said in his childish drawl, wagging a finger at the two weapons. "If you can't fix that, I'm afraid you'll have to remain under supervision for another 6 months after this."

"WHA-?!" the sisters exclaimed, shocked and angered by this unforeseen development.

Kid stepped in, holding both hands up. "Father, if I may interrupt. Although the aggressiveness is still plainly there," He side-eyed the sisters at this statement. They glared at him in return. "I believe that if I were to work more closely with these two, they'll progress much faster. Please remove them from official observation and place them under my care."

"Are you sure, Kid?" His father asked, surprised.

Kid nodded, turning to observe his two new partners. "I'm sure. I believe in them. We'll make a good team. They have the willpower to do it."

Liz started, astounded that Kid had stuck up for them after she had given him nothing but attitude in the past few weeks. _Willpower huh? It was that willpower that kept us alive on the streets. Maybe it's time to use it for something else…_

"Please have the Thompson sisters registered as my partners starting from today, father."

"Sure, sure!" Shinigami-sama exclaimed. "Congrats, you three~"

With that, the GPS trackers were snapped off the girls wrists. They were free to go.

_Dammit… he's saved us again._

* * *

**A/N:** I guess I've unconsciously decided to use "willpower" as my overlying theme with these drabbles, so here we are.


	3. Shelter

**Disclaimer: **Soul Eater is the property of Atsushi Okubo. I do not own the series nor its characters and am not making any sort of profit off of this fanfiction.

* * *

"Patty, run!"

"Don't let them escape! They mugged my brother! Whichever one of you boys catches those dirty bitches will be rewarded!" At this proclamation, the assorted group of men whooped and cheered as they gave chase to the two homeless girls.

The Thompson sisters Patty and Liz immediately fled in a state of terror, their makeshift home of abandoned wooden planks, soiled blankets and plastic bins knocked down and scattered behind them by their attackers. Liz's grasp on her sister's wrist tightened to painful extremes as she dragged the smaller girl along behind her. Immediately, Liz noticed that the girl's small stature was slowing them down considerably. They'd be caught in no time. The girls couldn't outrun these thugs forever, and Liz knew from experience that types like these don't back down easily. They needed a plan B, and fast.

Patty continued to sprint just behind her sister, gasping for air and wincing at the pull on her arm as her elder sister tried desperately to drag her to safety. "Sis wait, I have an idea!"

Liz glanced behind her as they continued their escape. "What is it? Hurry, they're catching up!"

"Transform!" Patty commanded. Liz's eyes widened at her little sister's plan.

"Are you crazy? You can't fight all of them by yourself! You'll be left wide open!" Liz yelled, completely unnerved by her sister's presumably wild intentions.

"No no, we're going to hide! Quickly!"

Knowing there was little time to be wasted, Liz did as she was told, her silver gun-form landing in Patty's sweating palm. Without hesitation, Patty threw herself into a hidden nook in the cracked and weather-worn wall beside a large dumpster, just big enough for her small form to fit in. Had Liz remained in her human state, neither of them would have been able to hide there. Patty huddled in the dark, silencing her breath and willing her pounding heart to slow down, lest her pursuers be able to somehow hear it. The young girl gripped the gun in her hand tightly, comforted by the closeness of her sister's soul and the cool trigger of her pistol. With a gun, she had power. With a gun, she was a threat. With a gun, she wouldn't be in danger any longer. Liz's very presence in her life was like angel wings enveloping her in a protective cocoon. Liz was safe. Liz was her home. Soon, the angry footsteps faded, and Patty quietly let out her breath, her tense stance slacking as the threat passed.

The sisters waited a bit longer in their newly discovered hiding spot before deeming the coast as clear. The alley was completely silent as Patty set down her weapon and Liz transformed back to her human body.

Liz sighed a breath of relief. "That was quick thinking Patty, thanks," she smiled down at her little sister, who returned it with a brilliant grin of her own. Suddenly there was a fist rubbing violently into her hair.

"But if you EVER put yourself in danger like that again, you'll be in BIG trouble!" Liz scolded her.

"Ow! Okay, I'm sorry!" Patty cried, rushing to cover her head with her hands.

Liz stopped her attack on her little sister to take a look at their surroundings. She crawled back into the hole in the wall and pushed at the debris, clearing up a wider space for the two of them to fit inside. This space Patty had discovered wasn't bad, and it was able to decently block out the bitter wind. It was a bit of a tight fit, and it wasn't as spacious as the makeshift home they had created in their last hideout, but in time they could turn it into what their previous "home" had been. It would do, at least until the next time they were discovered and chased out. The sisters had their work cut out for them, between building a new shelter and of course finding food before night fell.

"Hey, see if you can find anything to cover this hole with, will you? We'll set up here for now. I'm going out to find food for us," Liz said. "If anything happens, hide yourself immediately, understand?"

Patty nodded her head. "Yup! You can count on me, sis!"

Liz turned on her heel to start back the way they had originally ran from, towards the main street. "Be back soon. I'll get what I can."

Patty got to work collecting anything useful for building a shelter, gathering old newspapers and crumpled up paper towels and napkins to cushion the cold pavement. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of damp decomposing trash, but steeled herself to put up with it as she kept her frigid hands busy. After a successful string of muggings, the two of them could usually rent a room for the night, but it never lasted long. Once they ran out of money, they were back out on the streets, scraping for food, shelter and rich, unsuspecting businessmen who took a wrong turn into their territory.

Watching her sister jump into action, Liz hesitated before turning away from the alley where she had left her little sister, knowing she had a job to do as well. She didn't want to leave Patty vulnerable, but had little choice if they didn't want to starve. She only hoped that her younger sister was smart enough to keep herself hidden and not rush into conflict while she was unarmed and alone. She knew how impulsive the young girl could get when thinly strung and half-starved.

With that thought, Liz hardened her resolve in searching for their dinner for the night. She made a mental note of the nearby restaurants and bakeries, knowing they would be her go-to places for food after-hours. Her first stop was the coffee shop at the end of the block. By the time they closed at 6pm, the leftover pastries and sandwiches were either taken home by employees or thrown away. Liz had to time herself carefully so she could nab the scraps before anyone else living on the streets could get to it. Her pace quickened.

She swiftly scaled a chain-link fence at the end of the city block that surrounded the back of her targeted shop and rushed over to the dumpster against the wall, holding her breath to avoid the stench as she opened the lid. Her heart fluttered with joy when she noticed a large paper bag full of food still untouched by the trash surrounding it. She eagerly reached her hand into the dumpster and pulled out her prize, brushing away dirtied napkins and debris that stuck to the paper. She peered into the bag, counting 5 croissants, 1 muffin and half a sandwich. If they rationed carefully, this could provide them with a few meals before they came upon money again.

Liz glanced over her shoulder, checking for any would-be assailants as she stole away with the food that would keep her sister alive for another night. Noting that the coast was clear, she hopped the fence and started back towards the alley she left Patty in. It had been a quick haul that night, so she was sure that Patty was doing fine without her. She bowed her head down against the wind and headed back to her hideout, embarrassed by the disgusted looks of people passing by. She hadn't taken a bath in almost a week now and though she tried to keep herself clean with nothing but rain water, her disheveled state was obvious to anyone looking at her.

—

Digging through the trash wrought more rewards, as Patty roughly pulled out a dirty sweatshirt, which she set next to a child's blanket and a few mismatched socks that she had recovered. Even if neither sister would dare put it on, it would make for softer bedding. She sorted her found materials on the ground in front of her, examining the crawl space she was tasked with turning into a new home for herself and her sister. The newspapers were already spread out inside, but the hole needed to be covered at all time to avoid detection. There were two trash barrels beside the opening, which could be slid away as needed, but they surely belonged to tenants in the apartment building they were next to. They would do as temporary doors, but Patty made a quick mental note to find something more permanent that could be hung over the entrance. With a shrug, she shoved the barrels into place, noticing with satisfaction that they hid the opening adequately.

Before she could pat herself on the back and continue her work, Patty heard a loud clattering and rowdy masculine shouts at the end of the narrow street. Her heart jolted in panic. If it was the same gang as before, they greatly outnumbered her and she was unarmed, with Liz off in search of food.

_What do I do? Think, _think_! _

—

Liz finally reached the unfamiliar alleyway where Patty was hopefully working on their new shelter. She soon found the hole in the brick wall that led to a crawl space where they had hidden earlier, and was pleased to find that Patty had made quick work of the place. Already there were makings for a bed and some barrels that could be used to conceal the opening. What chilled her heart was that Patty was nowhere in immediate sight. A quick glance up and down the alley told her that Patty wasn't even on the block anymore.

Suddenly, Liz's worst fear had been realized. Patty was gone.

Liz dropped her bag and broke out into a run towards the other end of the alley, praying that her sister had merely gone to find more material for their shelter. "Patty? Dammit Patty, _where are you?!_"

Liz splashed through the stagnant puddles remaining on the dark pavement, circling the area she had last seen her little sister in. She had only been gone for 15 minutes, just long enough to find food to hold them over for the night, and she came back to a nightmare. Her little sister was gone. Wandered off? Kidnapped? Worse?

"Patty!" Liz shrieked hoarsely. "Patty, where are you? Hello?"

"Sis!"

Liz screeched to a halt at the sound of her sister's small voice, coming from just behind her amongst the trash that littered the alleyway. She faltered, not seeing anyone nearby.

"Down here, sis!" Liz heard Patty call once more. Desperate, Liz fell to her knees, pushing bits of garbage aside to find a gleaming pistol amongst the rubble.

"_Patty!_" Liz cried, picking up her sister's weapon form gingerly. "Thank goodness, I thought someone had taken you! Why did you transform?"

"Those guys came back," Patty replied, still within her weapon form. "You weren't around and I wasn't close enough to reach the hideout in time, so I hid myself this way."

"That was a reckless thing to do. As a gun, you're much more likely to be stolen, you know. Weapons sell for a pretty penny on the black market," Liz sighed, inwardly relieved that Patty was safe from harm and was alive and well in her hands.

Patty giggled before her form glowed brightly, as she returned herself to her human body. "But if I'm really a human, how could they sell me?" She asked innocently.

Liz grimaced at her. "You don't want to know, Patty… Stay close to me tonight, okay?" The two of them made their way to their new shelter and Liz pulled the paper bag inside with them, showing Patty her haul. Patty settled into her elder sister's embrace as they unwrapped some slightly stale pastries together.

"Tomorrow we're on the hunt again, okay? We need more money," Liz stated, frowning at their meager dinner.

"Can we have cake too? This pastry is kinda boring~" Patty asked.

"We'll have anything you want once we collect enough cash," Liz agreed. She tightened her arms around her sister, passing her the remnants of her own dinner. "Eat up, it's gonna be cold tonight."

* * *

**A/N:** Over one month later… whoops! Sorry for the long wait!

I was actually working on a different drabble for this series, but it refused to write itself and this one wrote itself instead. So the other one I had planned will have to wait~ We got a little serious in this story, but I'll try to keep to their lighthearted personalities as much as possible in future chapters!


	4. Changes

May contain spoilers. _Thoughts in italics._

—

"Aaaaah my legs are so sore from standing all day!" Liz groaned, stretching out as she entered Gallows Manor with Kid and Patty. Or rather, Shinigami-sama and Patty, now. She sent a deadly glare in her meister's direction. "Hey, did you really have to restart the ceremony 6 times today? It was just a mask, you know."

Kid contemplated this for a moment as he hung up his robe before his eyes shot wide open in disbelief. He spun around to face her, panic written on his face. "You're right! I should have done it 8 times! How stupid of me!" Kid exclaimed, snatching his robe back off the rack. Liz's eyes widened in horror.

"No no no that's not what I meant, it was fine, really!" Liz shook her head furiously in disagreement. _We are NOT doing that again!_

Kid flung himself to the floor, cursing his poor choices and how on earth was he going to go on without his father and how could such a lowly existence such as he possibly become the next Death God, all while Patty observed him in a fit of hysterics.

_Too late. _

"That's it. I'm calling up Death Scythe. We're having another ceremony tomorrow, I demand it!" Kid whined from the floor, grasping at his hair in dismay.

"Patty, please?" Liz whined to her younger sister, giving her shoulder a shove towards their distraught partner.

Patty giggled in response and hopped over Kid's prone form, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards his room. "C'mon Kid-kun, it's bed time for you! It's very very late, okay?!"

"But the ceremony-"

"NO MEANS NO, BASTARD!" Liz heard Patty shout down the hallway in her most intimidating voice. Kid quieted down immediately, whimpering in defeat as Patty dragged him away.

Liz sighed heavily, inwardly relieved that they managed to dodge that bullet. She didn't want to think of how many more times he'd force them to stand on that platform as Death Scythe tried in vain to place the Shinigami mask perfectly on Kid's head. She had a sneaking suspicion that Death Scythe would be calling out sick tomorrow, just in case.

—

After Patty returned from delivering Kid to his quarters, the two siblings started their own nightly ritual before turning in as well. Since the battle against the Kishin, Patty had taken up residence in Liz's room once more, the way she had when they first moved in. It was comforting, being near each other at night when all chaos was erupting outside the manor walls. Liz didn't mind giving up a bit of space for her sister for the time being. It wasn't often they got to spend alone time together these days. Liz knew that Patty would return to her own room soon enough. After brushing out her hair, Liz turned to see her sister already tucked into their bed.

"Hey sis?" Patty murmured, sleep already present in her voice.

"Yeah, Patty?" Liz crawled under the blankets beside her.

"Isn't it weird that Kid is the new Shinigami now? Is he gonna be spending all his time in the Death Room doing important stuff without us, d'ya think?"

Liz thought this over quietly. It WAS weird to think that their partner and meister was now a full-fledged god with unimaginable power.

"I guess he'll still spend time with us," Liz responded carefully, unsure of her own words. "Shinigami-sama only spent so much time in the city because his soul was bound to the city, Kid has more freedom than that."

"True," Patty said, shifting herself into a more comfortable position. "But he's got a lot more to do now, doesn't he? He can't go to class with us or go on missions together like we used to, right?"

"Mmm..." was Liz's noncommittal reply. Truthfully, the more Patty questioned their future with their meister, the more anxious Liz became. What WOULD become of them, now that Kid had come into power? And more to the point, the two of them weren't Death Scythes. They had never achieved that rank and with Kid's new decree made earlier that afternoon, it was now forbidden.

_The point of achieving Death Scythe status was to create a weapon powerful enough for Shinigami to use. Are we too weak now? Will Soul be his weapon from now on? Or maybe Kid hasn't even fully realized his powers yet, but when he does, what will become of us? Will we even be needed anymore?_

Questions continued swirling in Liz's tattered mind to the point that she hasn't realized Patty had drifted off to sleep some time ago. Liz turned on her side to pat her sister's soft blonde hair and wish her sweet dreams before allowing sleep to claim her as well.

—

"Morning," came a deep voice from the other end of the dining room. At the end of the table, Kid was hunched over the daily newspaper, engrossed in his reading. It seemed as though his desire to redo his enthronement ceremony had vanished from his mind. It was best not to remind him again.

"Morning, Kid-kun!" Patty chirped, settling herself down next to the boy and swiping a slice of toast from his plate. Wordlessly, Kid slid her the comic section of the newspaper, his eyes never leaving the headline on the first page. Patty excitedly flattened out the pages to see all the pictures while Liz settled into her seat as well.

Liz peeked over Kid's shoulder to read the article Kid was so interested in. Every piece of news to come out this week was about the passing of the former Shinigami and Kid's recent enthronement. There were blurbs on the current roster of Death Scythes, the peace treaty with the witches (which many were uneasy about) and even a quick note on Kid's weapons- the Thompson sisters. _However long that will last_, Liz thought to herself.

"What are you thinking about?" Liz tentatively asked her partner, her sight uneasily focusing on the three connected Sanzu lines across his dark hair. Perfect symmetry, just what he'd always wanted.

"There's a lot to think about now. I don't even know where to begin," Kid confided, his voice steadier than the uncertainty of the words he spoke.

"What would the old Shinigami-sama do?" Patty asked, brushing bread crumbs from the comic pages spread out in front of her.

"Father? I wish I knew. He isn't here to guide me through this anymore. It all happened so suddenly…" Kid raised his gaze to the expansive ceiling, deep in thought. "I know that making peace with the witches was the right choice. At least, I think so. For now, I'll be removing myself from Shibusen's enrollment to focus on that."

Patty looked up at this. "You're really going to quit school, Kid-kun? But we have so much fun there!" Patty complained. She shredded and crumpled the newspaper pages in her fists before chucking the wads of paper across the table. She crossed her arms defiantly, pouting in Kid's direction.

"Patty, please pick that up," Kid gently ordered, a bead of sweat forming on his temple. "Anyway, I'm the headmaster now. How could I be a student as well, when I have so many meisters and weapons to watch over? As Father once said, I know all the coursework in and out. I have no need to attend classes. It'll work itself out," Kid replied, trying his best to comfort the young girl while not bursting into a fit over the mess she had created.

"So we'll still be partners?" Patty asked, dodging under the table to retrieve the bits of paper. Liz held her breath, waiting for the response.

"Of course! There's no one else I'll have but you two."

Patty emerged from under the table, a triumphant gleam in her eye. She and Liz exchanged glances, both smiling in relief.

Things were going to be different from now on, but not _too_ different.

—

**A/N: **Sorry for the unintentional hiatus! (I have a feeling I'll be saying this a lot.) And sorry for my poor writing, yeesh I need practice. Ever since I moved, I've been busy searching for a new job and life just got in the way… meh! Anyway, this chapter is sort of a brief introduction to a new Soul Eater fic I'm writing. I've outlined 16 chapters of it so far, so I'm pretty excited for it.

Not sure how many people are actually reading this, but if you wouldn't mind answering a quick question if you leave a review? Do Japanese suffixes in fanfics bother you? Such as "Shinigami-sama", "Kid-kun" etc. I'm used to them since I speak Japanese, but I'm not sure how readers feel about it. I haven't watched the English version of the Soul Eater anime either, so I don't know what they adapted everything to. Please give me your opinion if you have one! If not, see you in the next chapter~


	5. The Search

_Thoughts in italics._

* * *

"Welcome to Shibusen!"

"Pleasure to meet you at last, Death the Kid!"

"What an honor to meet the son of Shinigami-sama!"

A handful of professors and staff cheerfully greeted the young boy as he made his way through the hallowed halls of his father's school. Kid nodded mutely at them, keeping his solemn golden eyes straight ahead towards the heavy steel doors that concealed the Death Room. Around him, older children scurried back and forth through the hall, rushing to their morning classes. Some gave him a passing glance, but most were absorbed in conversation amongst themselves, not giving a thought to the young Shinigami. After all, they've seen stranger sights in this school than a single child with three white lines across his hair. Kid secretly envied them for their easy-going friendships and camaraderie. Not being a meister or weapon himself, he had little reason to interact with the students of his father's school.

The faculty however, knew better than to ignore the boy. They knew who this person was and what he meant for the future. Many of them stopped at the sight of him, nudging whomever was next to them and pointing. The slight-framed boy pushed open the doors, leaving the hallway whispering in interest at the young Shinigami who had finally made an appearance at the school established by his father.

"Kid, what a surprise!" Shinigami-sama squawked excitedly. "What are you doing here?" His looming figure hovered over the boy, his voice expressing bewilderment whereas his mask could not.

"I was bored at the manor, so I decided to pay your school a visit. I wanted to see firsthand what your academy was like, Father. It's all you can talk about at home."

Shinigami-sama considered this for a moment. "I'm sorry Kid-kun, for leaving you out for so long. Would you like to meet some of our professors? Sit in on a lesson, perhaps?"

"I've already met a few professors outside, and lessons are not what I'm interested in," Kid paused. "Father?"

Shinigami-sama tilted his head questioningly. "Yes?"

"Do you think _I _could have weapons someday?"

His father chuckled lightly. "Of course. Once you take my place, my weapons shall all be yours to wield. Pretty cool, huh~?"

"That's not what I mean. I want weapons of my own."

"By 'weapons' you mean you want more than one?" Shinigami-sama questioned.

"Unquestionably! Just one would throw off my balance. I want a perfect pair whom I can work with by myself!" Kid answered defiantly.

Shinigami-sama smiled down at his child. _Of course, that's my Kid._ "I'm afraid it's difficult to find perfectly matching weapons, my son. But one day you'll surely have your own weapons. You'll find them!"

Kid contemplated this for awhile, before looking back up at his father's smooth mask again. His eyes narrowed in determination. "You're right. I _will_ find them. Thank you, Father. I know what I must do now." With that, the boy spun on his heel and exited the room, deep in thought. Again, he ignored the odd looks from all corners of the building, and made his way back to the manor.

Storming into his empty home, Death the Kid set out on his new self-appointed mission. He was determined to find the perfect weapon partners, and he was going to pour every ounce of his concentration into searching for them. Climbing up the slim ladder in his father's personal library, Kid grabbed every book he could find on weapons, including any directories and registries he came across. Heaving his stack of books to the table, he spread everything out in even stacks and got to work.

It was late at night by the time the wick on Kid's candle had gone out. His head was already lolling onto the desk before him, exhaustion claiming him from his hours of research. Despite his efforts, he hadn't found any real leads yet. Sibling weapons were very common of course, but he couldn't find a single pair whose weapon form matched. Hearing the clock strike 1AM, he got up from his desk, placing the books he'd already skimmed through back onto the shelves. He'd continue in the morning.

* * *

It had been two months since Kid began his hunt, and he had nearly finished reading every book in his father's personal library inside the manor, searching for clues on where to find matching weapons. Even the registries had failed him. Not one birth of symmetrical weapons were listed. He had even taken the liberty of collecting newspaper clippings on various weapons around the world, and not a single thing jumped out at him. Dejected, Kid finally placed the last remaining book onto the shelf. He now had enough knowledge to run Shibusen himself from all the reading he had done, but that wasn't what he really wanted.

His father had been carefully watching him these past few months in silent concern. Kid had an obsessive personality, that much was obvious, but the poor boy was going to run himself to the ground at this rate. Shinigami-sama decided to speak up, hoping to give him a bit of encouragement with his recent _news_.

"Kid, why don't you take a break? In some cases, the perfect weapons will find you instead!" Shinigami-sama said brightly, trying to cheer on his disheartened son.

"I can't rest. This is my duty as a future meister, isn't it?"

"Well ah… that's not really-"

"It's alright Father, no need to worry about me. By the way, may I take a look in Shibusen's library next?"

Shinigami-sama sighed. This was getting out of hand. Luckily, he had a little tip to give to his son.

"I want you to take a break from books for now and go on a little mission for me, won't you?" Shinigami-sama started.

"A mission? What is it?"

"There's a pair of sibling weapons in the city of Brooklyn causing some trouble. I'm worried for the outcome of their souls, but I'm sure they can still be saved before they turn. We can't have any new Kishin arising. That's the purpose of Shibusen, after all! I'd like you to stop them in any way you can. I'm sure you'll figure out what to do with them~" he hinted slyly.

Kid's eyes brightened at the mention of a "pair", but he quickly stifled any excitement he had, not wanting to get his hopes up too soon. The directories hadn't made any mention of them.

"Very well. I would like to see New York City for myself anyway. I hear the architecture there is simply superb! There's bound to be perfect symmetry around every corner!" Kid exclaimed, eyes lighting up again despite himself.

Shinigami-sama grinned. "Whenever you're ready!"

"I'll take off this evening. Thank you for entrusting this mission to me, Father. I won't let you down." Kid enthusiastically hurried out of the room to prepare himself for his trip.

Shinigami-sama watched his son go, secretly amused. _Kid will be pleased to find matching weapons, if those rumors are true. Maybe I should have told him, but it would have ruined the fun! I only hope he can save their souls first. Good luck, Kid~_

* * *

**A/N: **And off he goes to find Liz and Patty~

As an irrelevant side note, I went to college in Brooklyn!

I still haven't decided what to do about the whole honorific thing, so for now I'll continue the way I have been… Thank you so much Guest and SilverSapphire34523 for your feedback though! Gave me something to think about for my new Soul Eater story that I've been working on. I made a lot of progress on it, so I'm hoping to finish it within the next couple of months. Yaaaay~


End file.
